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London Fashion Week AW’13 Day Two: Part One

Daks

Blink and you’ve missed half of day two of London Fashion Week. Are you ready…?

Daks kicked things off for the second day of London Fashion Week, and was full of swinging A-line midi skirts, bold checks and buttery soft olive green leather (which I have decided I absolutely NEED in my wardrobe). The leather jackets were cropped, and the collars were either roll-neck or wide brown lapels against gentrified checks. It was a masculine feel, with carefully tailored jackets and wide-cut trousers. But I fell in love with the boots – knee high boots in brown, black and more olive green, they reminded me of a cross between wellies and riding boots. Apart from the olive green and spot of dark terracotta, the palette was soft grey and black, muted florals on skirts and high-neck tops, metallic sheen on cropped vests with pockets, and the occasional flash of pale mustard on the inside of a mac coat.

It was Sister by Sibling that got the fash pack all abuzz for day two. The fashionable trio are well-loved for their playful attitude to their collections, and this AW’13 is no different. Inspiration came from Paula Yates, and her style and humour is reflected in the knitwear that came down the catwalk. Berets with pom-poms, looping scarves, and Fair Isle sweater dresses embellished with prints of foxes were mingling among Forties-esque floral pencil skirt twin-sets. The signature leopard print came in red and black this season, appearing on dresses with black bands around the hem.

Antipodium is another favourite designer of mine, and one of my favourite collections of day two! Sex, lies and CCTV was inspired by the social media dominated world we live in – where nothing is private anymore. This, however was “a uniform for life under surveillance”, and translated itself into a prim yet unsettling collection of clashing colours, lilac metallics and midi lengths. The idea of suggestion rather than reveal was everywhere – from the red peep toe shoes to the furry-collared dresses and plush great coats.

Next up was Christopher Raeburn, whose ethical, environmentally sustainable methods work towards beautiful, fashion-forward collections. As Vogue described it, it was another of Raeburn’s “urban utility” collections for AW’13, but with a sexier take. Neon pinks and teal bomber jackets injected jarring colour, whilst the dresses were simple and chic. The peaked caps (reminiscent of baker boys hats) and prim necklines added to the overall utilitarian feel. I particularly liked the matching boots with a subtle shimmer.

I have another admission to make now – I never pay much attention to the Clements Ribeiro show (and then always catch sight of it later and mentally kick myself). This season the duo have moved away from their “romantic bohemian” territory, and added a bit of punk. This translated in to big buckles, jewelled collars and red and black lace cropping up everywhere. Add in the touches of the older, more bohemian Clements Ribeiro we know, with florals and cardigan bomber jackets, plus trends now becoming London Fashion Week certainties – skirts over trousers and plaid, plaid, and more plaid – then you’ve got a winning AW’13 collection.

Orla Kiely’s presentation was cute and flirty in soft pinks, greys, blues and bright pops of colour in neon, orange, red and lime green. Prints were not so much stand-out statements, but more used as subtle texture – like the floral patterns, and pale fan shapes splashed on tops, and on A-line skirts. The only statement seemed to be the run of squirrel prints on blouses and cardigans. There was a hint of the Fifties and Sixties, of Chanel and of the luxe, with gold geometric pints clustered across shift dresses.

It was another prim collection, this time courtesy of Jasper Conran. However, this was an eye-watering array of bright colours. Inspired by Mia Farrow, it felt distinctly Sixties, with crew necks and boxy cuts, against a bright orange background, with a magenta, green, yellow and orange palette, and cloche hats. “It’s well mannered but out-of-control colour,” Conran explained. And so it was.

palmer//harding saw monochromatic simplicity take over. With nothing but gathered waists and delicate pearl adornments, palmer//harding have put together an AW’13 collection that’s majestic in its simplicity. There’s something of the early 20th Century about the cuts – long skirts in soft fabrics, big cuffs (exquisitely detailed in pearl), and draping blouses to leave a figure both feminine and effortless. To complete the collection, there were dresses with asymmetric hems and boxy jackets with wide sleeves – sleeves big enough for the pearl-ed cuffs to peek from.